Dynamos like JJ Abrams are practically their own industries, constantly churning out hit movies and TV shows, and his workload’s about to get a lot heavier taking on the Star Wars universe.
That’s serious pressure, forget about the fact that he also has the long awaited sequel to Star Trek hitting theaters on May 17. As we just reported here on TG, the initial reviews for Star Trek Into Darkness are pretty positive so far, which means that a third Trek movie is pretty much a given, probably with someone else directing it.
Yet as Collider reports, Abrams may be able to squeeze in a third Trek movie, although God knows when he would be able to pull this off. Abrams is this month’s main Playboy interview, and as he told the magazine, “I would say it’s a possibility. We’re trying to figure out the next step. But it’s like anything: It all begins with the story.” When asked if making the next Star Wars would take him out of the running to make the third Trek movie, Abrams simply said, “No.”
Where most of us would be quivering masses of jelly at the prospect of having to take on one of the most important franchises in sci-fi history, Abrams is staying calm. “If I viewed this from a fan’s point of view – and no one’s a bigger Star Wars fan than I am – or from a legacy standpoint, it would scare the hell out of me. But instead of trying to climb this mountain in one giant leap, I’m just enjoying the opportunity and looking to the people I’m working with.”
Abrams mentioned that he’s known George Lucas for years, “he’s now a friend,” and of course he’ll be seeking Lucas’s advice in tackling the next Star Wars flick. “The advantage here is that we still have George Lucas with us to go to and ask questions and get his feedback on things, which I certainly will do. With Star Trek it was harder because I wasn’t a Star Trek fan; I didn’t have the same emotional feeling, and I didn’t have Gene Roddenberry to go to. But I came to understand the world of Star Trek, and I appreciated what fans felt and believed about this universe and this franchise.”
So perhaps Abrams will be able to straddle two incredible science fiction universes, and after pulling off the Herculean task of taking on the next Star Wars film, going back to another Trek film will probably feel like a vacation. In the meantime, we eagerly await Star Trek Into Darkness, which is just a few weeks away now, and the next Star Wars, which is currently slated for a 2015 release.
